Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters and references belong to their respective owners. The song Blown It Again belongs to Daniel Bedingfield and the company that recorded it and was used in this story with the best of intentions. Story elements © Hideki LaShae. No money was gained in the writing of this story.
WARNING: This story contains sensitive cultural practices and references that might offend some readers. The views and opinions of the cultures which condone these practices are not shared by this author, but they are included in this story for awareness purposes only.
Time to Duel, Mariko!
By
Hideki LaShae
Chapter Twenty-Two
Give It Up
"Wakey, wakey, Marie!" exclaims Mokuba moving up beside Marie and Seto.
Joey sniffles as he finally forces himself to quit crying. "W-why…? Why didn't it work?"
"We don't know, big brother," says Serenity.
Mariko looks at Marie and Seto as Mokuba wraps his small arms as far as he can around the couple.
Why did I never tell you? Why did I not say? Why did I push it away?Mariko growls and turns towards Sa-Ra. "Hey, Soul Release!"
Sa-Ra blinks at Mariko.
"Do you think you could release that stupid brat's hikari without Marie?" asks Mariko pointing his thumb at Marik.
"I do not have the power to do it alone," whispers the wind.
"Whoever said you'd do it alone," says Mariko, "I'll fill in for Marie! She's a bit overwhelmed right now."
"I do not know if you have the power to do that," whispers the wind.
"All I have to do is rejoin with her body. The healing light isn't tied into her soul," says Mariko, "It's in her flesh…"
"We could try," whispers the wind.
Sa-Ra nods her head to Mariko.
"Then we'll try the woman again," says Mariko with a brisk nod of his head.
"Mariko…?" Yami glances nervously at Yugi and closes off his mental link with his hikari. 'If the healing light is a physical trait, could you exhaust it?'
'What do you mean?' asks Mariko.
Bakura closes off the link he has with Ryou. 'You baka, Mariko! He means… could you injure or even kill your silly wench if you try to use her healing light and use too much of it?'
'I suspect the healing light to be like a candle that can be extinguished,' says Yami.
'I don't know about that,' says Mariko, 'It might be, but if it is like that, then… I know it is a risk she is willing to take. I cannot revive her to perform this action herself, but she wants it done.'
'Oh, well… I don't care about her. She isn't my hikari!' exclaims Bakura, 'If she dies at least I would get to watch!' Bakura grins sadistically.
Ryou looks at Bakura inquisitively. "Bakura?"
'Yes, Ryou, koi?' whispers Bakura after reopening their mind link.
Ryou wraps his arms around Bakura. He whispers, "I miss you when I can't feel you. Please don't close your side of our link again."
Bakura growls. He whispers in return, "I will try not to, but some conversations are too adult for your virgin ears. You're too innocent…"
"I'm not that innocent," whispers Ryou blushing.
Bakura glances down at Ryou's body. He licks his lips.
Ryou smiles at Bakura's antics.
"I'll make you even less innocent tonight if you want," whispers Bakura directly into Ryou's ear.
"Bakura," hisses Ryou turning bright red.
Mariko walks over to stand in front of the bed where Seto holds Marie and Mokuba. He snarls, "Release my hikari now!"
"She may be your hikari, but she is my fiancée and I refuse to let her go just because you say so!" exclaims Seto glaring angrily at Mariko.
"Hey, don't get mad at me! I didn't knock her out!" exclaims Mariko.
"You're not helping either!" exclaims Seto.
Sorry, you said it, my motor mouth done and did it again, exceeding
speed limit and now I'm feelin' it.
I'm knee deep in it, ready to roll like a jeep with the keys in it,
so give me three minutes.
"Cause I admit it, I was wrong with no right to expect, maybe you
might just accept my apology even though it feels funny," cause
when a penny dropped I'm like "Oh my gosh I killed Kenny!"
"Sorry… I'll try to wake her up, but I need her body now," says Mariko with a forced sigh.
Seto's eyes widen. "You what?"
Mariko's eyes widen in realization. "Not like that! You pervert! I'm going to rejoin with her and help her revive that baka Marik!"
"Can you quit arguing? I'm trying to take a nap!" snaps Marie.
"Marie? You're awake?" asks Seto smiling at her.
Marie blinks.
'Marie, tell him to let me have your body so I can take over for you and try to revive Marik and then Mai,' says Mariko.
'No dice, Mariko! You can't do this! Thanks for the offer though,' thinks Marie, 'I heard what you were arguing with Bakura and Yami about. They're right you know. If you tried to use my healing light, you might use too much and it might snuff out. I could die if that happens.'
'I won't let you! I may not have the healing light, but I can sustain yours!' exclaims Mariko, 'It's a yami-hikari privilege!'
Marie smiles and sits up yawning. "I have more work to do, Seto. I still haven't awakened Mai, and I have to help Marik too."
Mokuba blushes as he moves away from Marie and Seto by a few steps.
"Are you sure you're ready? I don't want…"
"I'm okay!" Marie kisses Seto passionately before pulling away
from him. She stands and walks over towards Sa-Ra.
"Let me be the focus point," whispers the wind.
"Not this time, Sa-Ra! I'm doing this!" exclaims Marie, "You couldn't return Mai when you were the focus, and while it wasn't your fault… I need to return Marik before I can try to return Mai again!"
"Let me help you, Marie," says Mariko.
"Ishizu, can you get Marik up onto the bed, and hold him still! I don't want him to try to cut me with that Ra-forsaken earring of his!" exclaims Marie.
"Let me help you, Marie," repeats Mariko as Ishizu moves quickly to help her little brother onto the bed.
Odion moves over to Ishizu. "Let me, sister Ishizu. I will hold him still while they perform their spell."
"Are you sure, Odion?" asks Ishizu looking at him with worried eyes.
"It is the only thing I can do for Master Marik," says Odion with a nod. He climbs into the bed and pulls Marik in front of him so that Marik's back rests against his chest, and he holds him as still as he can.
Ishizu moves away from the bed. "He is ready for you now, Marie."
Mariko looks at Marie with pleading eyes. "Marie! Please! Let me help you!"
Since I got to know you better
I found that I was glad I met you…
"You can't help me, Mariko," says Marie looking at him. She winks slyly. "I need you to sustain me."
Mariko smiles and nods his head.
Marie kneels down on the edge of the bed where Marik struggles against Odion's grasp. She situates her left hand on Marik's forehead and holds out her right hand for Sa-Ra to take as she glides over to Marik's other side.
The delicate, wispy fingers of Sa-Ra's left hand intertwine with Marie's fingers, and Sa-Ra rests her right hand on Marik's forehead, over top of Marie's hand.
Mariko walks up behind Marie and wraps his arms around her waist pulling his chest up tight against her back to support her as she kneels on the bed.
Marie takes a deep breath. "We say the words together, Sa-Ra… This spell will be slightly different than the others because we will have to return Marik and since the spirit is in control of the body now… and not entirely sane… we will have to heal him at the same time. So we'll do our standard spell first, saying the words at the same time. Then I'll lead you in the second part of the spell, you repeating what I say, and then we say our standard spell together one more time. Okay?"
"I understand," whispers the wind, "We have very little time to perform this spell. My time here is limited."
"One. Two," says Marie.
"Three," says Mariko squeezing Marie.
"Ahm kum Ra. Ahm kum Dei. Ahm kum Osiris," says Marie as the wind whispers the words.
Sa-Ra begins to glow with her pale lavender light.
"Ahm kum Isis," whispers the wind in time with Marie's voice, "Ahm kum Sa-Ra. Ahm kum Marie."
Marie starts to glow with a golden light as the violet light, which normally appears at the edge of her natural light, surrounds Mariko instead. "Ahm kum Mariko."
"Ahm kum Marik. Ahm kum Marik. Efday Ahm Shokrun," says Marie and the wind.
Mariko clenches his eyes closed and groans.
"Ahm kum… Ra… Ahm kum… Anubis," whispers the wind as Marie says those exact words, "Marik… Marik… Marik… Marik…"
Sa-Ra's image flickers once, and her eyes widen. She gasps, her own voice a high-pitched scream.
Everyone who can clamps their hands over their ears.
Mariko opens his eyes. He reaches out his right hand and grabs Sa-Ra's wrist. He allows his purple light to encompass her arm.
Sa-Ra nods at Mariko and her violet light passes through her hands and pushes the golden light outwards from Marie's flesh as it surrounds the girl's body.
"Hootash naraba oos veesloo," says Marie looking at Marik's wide frightened eyes.
"Hootash naraba oos veesloo," whispers the wind.
"Ahm kum Ra," says Marie, "Ahm kum Dei."
"Ahm kum Ra. Ahm kum Dei," whispers the wind.
"Efday shokran Ahmenophus!" exclaims Marie loudly.
"Efday shokran Ahmenophus!" says the wind.
Marik thrashes about as his body begins to glow, and Odion grips him tighter.
Marie nods her head before speaking again in time with the whispering wind, "Ahm kum Ra. Ahm kum Dei… Ahm kum… Osiris… Ahm kum… Isis."
"Ahm kum… Sa-Ra," whispers the wind.
"Ahm kum… Marie," says Marie.
"Ahm kum… Mariko," says Mariko burying his head in Marie's smoothed down hair as his violet light grows in intensity and deepens in color looking now to be almost black.
"Ahm kum… Marik," whispers the wind along with Marie, "Efday… Ahm… Shokrun. Ahm kum… Ra… Ahm kum… Anubis!"
"Marik… Marik… Marik," says Mariko starting the chant that Marie and the wind soon take up, "Marik… Marik… Marik…"
Sa-Ra's image flickers again despite everything else.
Marie closes her eyes and throws her head back as she moans.
The lavender light slowly streams down from Marie's body into her hands where it passes into Marik's body, causing him to glow brightly with a strong white light.
Why did I never trust ya? I could have told you all my
fears
All those years, now I'm ashamed of my ways…
Mariko releases Sa-Ra's hand and wraps his arm around Marie again.
"Marik! Malik!" screams Marie.
"Malik? Who is Malik?" asks Bakura raising an eyebrow.
The golden light from around Marie seeps into Marik's struggling body.
"I swear when I get out of this, I will kill you, woman!" shouts Marik.
Seto stands up abruptly and stares at Marik with his patented death glare. "You will not touch her!"
Marik glares at Seto and sees the Millennium Rod in his belt. His eyes widen. "The Rod! Give it to me!"
I've done it, I've blown it again
Gone and lost my one true friend
If I can't stop it it's gonna end
I've done it, I've blown it again…
"No!" screams Mariko as the violet light that had surrounded him passes straight over Marie and explodes against the light surrounding Marik.
Sa-Ra removes her hands and floats back a step as she covers her eyes.
"Marik! Malik! You bastards!" exclaims Marie shoving herself and Mariko back away from the expanding light. She doesn't even notice when the Millennium Scale flashes its light, and she barely notices when she falls onto the cold floor.
"Now, now! That is no way to speak to us!" exclaims Marik glaring evilly at Marie, "Where did that brat, Mariko, go?"
Marie looks all around. Her eyes widen.
"Good-bye," whispers the wind.
All eyes turn to Sa-Ra as she blinks out with a dark light.
'Mariko? Are you there? Are you well?' thinks Marie frantically, 'Are you dead?'
'I'm okay, Marie. Just stunned. I was thrown back into my soul room,' says Mariko, 'I'll be back out in a minute.'
Marie scrambles away from Marik. She grabs the Millennium Scale right as the light from it flares again.
Mariko appears in front of Marie.
Marik looks at Mariko with shocked eyes. He struggles against Odion. "Release me!"
"No, Master Marik!" exclaims Odion.
Marik screams, and the light that still surrounds him flashes before dousing itself.
Finally I'm seeing clearly…
However, Marik no longer lies on the bed in Odion's arms. He stands beside the bed looking down at Odion holding tightly to his look-a-like who pants heavily. "Well… little Malik… it looks like I might not need your body now after all!"
"Malik?" asks Ishizu, "Marik? Marik, brother! What is going on?"
"Marik? Please… don't hurt anyone," says the sandy-blond haired boy in Odion's arm, "Especially not Ishizu… she's my sister." He smiles weakly at Ishizu.
"What makes you think I'll do anything you say, Malik?" asks Marik glaring at the other.
"You don't have the Millennium Rod anymore. Yami still has the Millennium Puzzle," says the other boy relaxing in Odion's arm and smirking evilly at his look-a-like, "You wouldn't stand a chance if he tried to send you to the Shadow Realm."
Marik crosses his arms over his chest in a huff. "Fine then!"
"Marik? Who is Malik?" asks Ishizu.
"I am," says the boy in Odion's arm, "That's what Marik calls me. You see… we have the same name. He was called Marik, Tomb Guardian Marik actually. Since my name is also Marik, he has started calling me Malik to distinguish between us."
Such a thing as too much information, trapped inside this condemnation…
"So…"
"Call me Malik," says the smaller of the two boys moving out of Odion's arms. He wraps his arms around the slightly taller blond haired Egyptian who blushes from their proximity. "And this is Marik!"
"I won't hurt anyone, Malik, but that doesn't mean I like any of this!" exclaims Marik.
Malik smiles and abruptly kisses Marik's cheek. "You will!"
Marik's eyes widen. "What are you doing?"
Malik chuckles and buries his blushing face into Marik's chest.
"Am I the only hikari that is not in love with their yami?" asks Marie looking at Marik wrap his arms around Malik.
Yugi looks at Marie. "What makes you say that?"
Marie's eyes widen. "Oh! I'm sorry, Yugi! I never meant that you were in love with Yami! I mean, I know Seto isn't in love with Seth! Just ignore me! I'm too tired and stressed from all this magic!"
"Oh," says Yugi blushing.
"Well, you should go take a nap, Marie," says Joey, "We can… uh… try Mai again later. I mean, she isn't going anywhere, right?"
"Thanks, Joey," says Marie walking over to the bed that Seto stands beside and pushing him down onto it before she lies down and cuddles up to him. She yawns and closes her eyes, allowing herself to drift off into sleep.
